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Our family loves lentils; they're all things I think a food should be--tasty, cheap, and good for you. I just didn't have many recipes that used lentils until I recently discovered that lentils are a good substitute for ground beef in most recipes where the beef doesn't have to be formed into patties or meatballs. In recipes like meatloaf you can substitute lentils for a portion of the ground beef, but I've never tried more than about 1/3. Recipes like Shepherd's Pie are prime candidates for a complete substitution. Once cooked, one cup of dried lentils is about equivalent to a pound of ground beef and costs roughly $0.40.

This recipe varies from my normal rules for a good dish in that it takes more than 30 minutes to prepare (the lentils have to simmer for 25-30 minutes), but it's not time you have to spend actively cooking so I make an exception. We actually like these tacos more than tacos made with ground beef.

TASTY LENTIL TACOS

INGREDIENTS
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup salsa
12 taco shells
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons fat free sour cream

DIRECTIONS
In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly. Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.